


Monofell: Dawn of the First Day

by Katreal



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Monofell-AU, Plus extras, a novellization, and I had to fill in the gaps, based on the 7 days of chara comic, because doodle is sneaky, fanfanfic, monofell, took some creative liberties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 10:12:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12252273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katreal/pseuds/Katreal
Summary: During the Seven Days of Chara, Doodle gave to me...A little spark of inspiration, and the seeds of a story.The Fallen Child wakes, in a place where everything is familiar and yet nothing is. This first journey sets the wheels turning in motion for an endless nightmare. Because children take to heart lessons we don't always want them to.





	1. Day 1: The Flower

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PCDoodle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PCDoodle/gifts).



##  **On the[First Day of Chara](http://monofell-au.tumblr.com/post/154911921649/day-1-the-flower), Doodle gave to me…**

A little spark of inspiration.

 

 

 

 

_Oh. You’ve fallen down, haven’t you?_

Have I?

It hurt enough to be true. My body ached, but not enough for me to really care.

Light filtered in through my closed eyelids. I finally peeled them open. It shone from far, far above me, reflecting and refracting through the floating motes of dust that drifted in and out of my vision. Had my fall kicked them up?

Had I even fallen?

Or did I just...wake up?

It felt surreal. I lifted my hand, reaching out and grasping for the tiny yellow orbs. Maybe they weren’t actually dust. Maybe they were fairies, dancing on a wind I couldn’t feel against my skin. My fingers curled around nothing.

Nothing.

My arm flopped back to the ground. Something crumpled beneath it. I turned, rolling onto my side. Curious.

Yellow. Everything was yellow. Fingers curled around tiny petals.

Suddenly it made sense.

It wasn’t fairies.

It wasn’t even dust.

It was just _pollen._ Pollen from the buttercups crushed beneath my body. Pollen that hung everywhere, breathed in every breath, clinging to my sweater in an unsightly yellow smear.

...How boring.

My hand jerked, smushing the tiny flower in my fist.

_Buttercups._

I didn’t want to be there anymore.

So I left.

I forced my aching body up. The large cavern seemed to shrink around me. Sharpened into a single point. A single door.

“ _Howdy!”_

I blinked. Between me and the door there was a splotch of black against the yellow. Petals uncurled as I watched, revealing a round white face.

_“That’s one nasty fall. At least… you don’t seem hurt.”_

It looked nervous. But almost hopeful. A small smile marred the smooth white surface. Veined black leaves fidgeted, curled inward as I stepped forward.

“ _Well--welcome to the Underground--”_

It was pretty. Much prettier than the buttercups that littered the room around me.

“ _There’s a couple things you should know down here--”_

Such a pretty flower shouldn’t be left alone in a boring place like this.

Before I realized, I was reaching for it.

“ _As a human you have--what are you--”_

What do you do with flowers?

I picked it. Pulling it up by the stem. I didn’t want to leave it here. Not alone.

The face twisted. Cracked. And then shattered. Leaving a limp stem in my hands.

I stared down at the now silent flower. I felt the grey petals between my fingers. Soft and smooth.

The flower talked no longer. And I didn’t feel a thing other than disappointment.

How boring.

I carried the stem through the door in my arms. I wasn’t going to leave it in there.

Not with the buttercups.


	2. Day 2: Mom

##  **On the[Second Day of Chara](http://monofell-au.tumblr.com/post/154949554864/day-2-a-familiar-face), Doodle gave to me…**

Too many questions,

And a little spark of inspiration.

 

 

 

Outside the door, there was a hallway.

Long. Dim. Neglected torches burned low in their sconces, casting flickering shadows along the vine-covered brick.

Thwap.

Thwap.

The limp leaves slapped against my side. The sound was soon joined by the lumber of heavy steps. It wasn’t too long before I met a monster. It towered above me. Goat-like horns, soft white fur, and fangs.

“ _Oh my child! I am so glad you don’t seem to be hurt! There are many creatures in this world who would not hesitate to assail such an innocent youth.”_

The black eyes shining behind the  prim glasses...felt safe.

A hand reached out, claw tips barely visible in the faint blue light.

“ _I am Toriel, child. I am the caretaker and guardian of these ruins. I always come this way to look out for children who may have fallen.”_

“ _You may think of me as a...mother if you wish. Do not worry, I shall care for you.”_

Mom seemed.

Right.

I took her hand.

The flower slid out of my remaining arm as she pulled me along. Falling with a quiet thwap to the empty stone floor. I glanced over my shoulder. Watching it retreat into the shadows. A small lump, quickly becoming nothing more than an indistinct silhouette. That big warm paw tugged me forward again.

It...was alright.

It was broken anyway.

x-x-x

Mom talked while we walked. I only paid half attention. Everything she was saying--the ruins, the puzzles--it all felt...

Familiar.

But, like the pollen in the first room…

The wonder was missing.

It was _boring._ Like I was seeing the world swaddled in a cotton wrap. Everything muffled. Distant.

I...did not know how to feel about it.

_Boring._

_Where was my flower?_

“ _My child? Why are you slowing? Are you tired?”_

Mom stopped, turning to look at me. I could feel the weight of her concern. It made my stomach squirm.

I didn’t…

...like that.

“ _Do you wish to rest for a moment? I am sure this is all rather overwhelming for you. Home is just in the next room.  I could go ahead and make preparations if you wish some time to take it all in.”_

Did I say yes?

_“This room should be safe enough, but do not wander far. Remember, I am merely a call away should you need anything.”_

Her long strides easily ate up the path to the north. The crinkle of the red leaves echoed as she moved through a patch in the middle of the room.

The weight of her gaze settled on my shoulders for a moment as she paused in the doorway. Before she turned--and was gone.

The silence was deafening.

I took a breath.

And then another.

Some of the cotton peeled away, and the iron grip of a well meaning claw slowly eased.

I felt...restless.

But.

I didn’t want to follow Mom.

Not yet.

I picked a direction and walked. There were two other exits. One was back the way we had come-- _boring._ I’d already seen that, and it was more of the same. Same blue walls and floor. Same red leaves. Same stupid cracked floor and switch puzzles. Not that Mom had let me try any of them. She’d just deftly explained each one, never letting go of my hand.

Never letting me _try._

The other, led down a different passage.

Something shuffled. Was it Mom? Did she come back to keep an eye on me?

Nobody came.

One of the frog-looking monsters I’d seen throughout the ruins looked up at my approach, before nervously inching away. I kept walking. Mom hadn’t paid them any mind when we’d passed them before.

The next room filled me with wonder.

The small passage opened up, letting out onto what was obviously some sort of balcony. The cavern was _huge_ , spreading further and further, filled with shadows and silhouettes of _buildings._ I pushed up against the wall, the light blue stone cool against my hands, bouncing up on the tips of my toes to see just a little bit better. An entire _city_ unfolded before me, dark windows and looming towers and silent streets. It was somehow lit by a very dim, ambient lighting. Where? How? Other than the small torch-sconce near the door I’d entered by, I couldn’t see any signs of the familiar blue flame.  _Why_ was there a _city_ in a place like this? A silent city, bathed in something resembling eternal twilight.

Maybe I could ask Mom.

Maybe I could find a way down there.

Maybe--

The surroundings dimmed, the already shadowed buildings fading to black, lit only by a faintly glowing red light shining from my chest. The fantasy shattered, dragged back to mundane reality.

Monsters blocked the way.

A whisper.

“ _She’s gone.”_

Another giggle.

This had happened before. Mom had called it an Encounter. She’d just tightened her grip on my hand and Glared. They hadn’t approached. Just slunk at the edges of the room until we’d moved far enough and the darkness receded. But I’d heard the whispers.

_This room should be safe enough, but do not wander far._

A small insect-like monster hopped forward, rubbing it’s tiny hands together.

“ _They are alone.”_

_“Maybe they want to play?”_

Another one, round, with spindly arms and legs. It’s giant eye was fixed on me, shining above a row of grinning teeth, bringing back that itching, unpleasant feeling.

I didn’t like it.

Stone cracked to my left... Something oblong pushed itself out of the ground. Ragged leaves and a shifting face--

_I was running late._

_Shadows surrounded me._

_I was alone._

_I tried hard to never be alone. Not where--_

_Apprehension._

_“Hey! Let’s play a game--”_

Fists curled at my side. I was on edge, and I didn’t really know why. A game could be fun, so why--

White insects filled the air. I stared. They almost seemed to flit about randomly.

_Remember, I am merely a call away should you need anything._

I pulled out the little box Mom had given me. A phone? Her name--Mom, not Toriel--was the first one on the list.

Something white smashed into my side, the force knocking me over before I could do anything, the device skittering out of my hand and skipping across the stone floor. The red light in my chest flickered, and I grit my teeth against the pain. The white orb continued through the space where I’d been, bouncing off the wall before fading into motes of white. The eyeball monster wagged its finger at me.

“ _Nu’uh! No fair! You gotta play with us!”_

They hadn’t mentioned it was a _rough_ game.

More orbs flicked around it. These ones wriggled like worms.

I couldn’t afford to think anymore. Bugs. Orbs. Even _turnips_ chased me across the balcony--that strange red light flickering with pain each time I was too slow. Three against one was _not_ a fair game.

I stumbled as another of the white things hit me, my hand going out to cushion my fall.

It hit something else. Something cool. And smooth. And not stone. I picked it up.

Not the phone. Not at all.

The toy knife in hand, I decided it was my turn.

We kept playing until the darkness lessened, and the city returned.

I was alone once more.

Mom later asked how I’d gotten so dirty.

I told her I’d fallen.

I looked down at the toy knife as I sat alone in the room she led me to. I could still hear her humming down the hallway.

That had been kind of fun.

I could still remember the racing of my heart. The blood pounding in my ears. The triumphant shine of the red light as the others lost and the Encounter ended.

Maybe they’d want to play again tomorrow.

For the first time, I felt content.

I managed to fall asleep.

x-x-x

I waited for them on the white-covered balcony.

But nobody came.

I tried asking the other monsters.

But nobody came.

Maybe they’d gone down to the city. I couldn’t find them in the corridors.

I decided to ask Mom how to get down there.

“ _The old city? My child, I sealed the tunnels a long time ago. No one lives there anymore.”_

_“Why? Well. I did not want...anyone wandering down there and getting lost. Or hurt. Many of the maintenance spells have long since faded. It is nothing more than a...painful memory now.”_

_“WHAT? No! Of course you cannot try and climb down there. I forbid it. I only want what’s best for you, my child. You know that right?”_

I could feel the cotton closing in. Suffocating me again. The only open space was now closed to me.

Except…

“ _Where...did they go?”_

_“I--my child--we will not be covering history for another--it is not in my curriculum at the moment. I--always wanted to be a teacher, so I have already started to plan out your education. We can start tomorrow if you like? I thought we’d start with more practical subjects, such as puzzle maintenance or slug husbandry--”_

She didn’t want to answer my question, so I stopped listening.

Mom noticed and excused herself into the kitchen to start dinner. I sat on the rug alone, at the foot of the large chair she vacated, staring into the fireplace.

I felt her gaze on me, even from the kitchen. It itched at me.

Even alone, I felt like I was swaddled in padded cloth.

I felt it from the hallway.

From my room.

Even from the yard.

I stared up at the bare branches of the tree.

Nothing.

Nothing.

_Nothing._

I itched to move forward.

But where could I move forward to?

The ruins were so _small._

When I finally went back inside, I noticed something different.

In the main foyer, there was a staircase. Previously a thin rope had stretched across the stairs leading down into the dark.  I peered down, noting the wall shifting from the blue painted plaster, down into rough hewn brick. I’d seen it before. When passing through the hallway. But I’d seen the rope and put it out of my mind for now.

I realized.

I’d never been down there.

The long corridor stretched out before me.

Mom waited for me at the end.

Her back was to me.

“ _One...day.”_ Her voice was quiet. Then she shook her head in the torchlight. “ _No. You did not even give me one day.”_

_“Is it not what you want? To leave? Is that not why you were asking questions? Why you are here now?”_

_Where did they go?_

_“Why did I think it would be different this time? Was it because you look like--”_

She took a breath. Her shoulders, which had previously been starting to tremble, steadied.

_“Go back upstairs, child. I am going to close this tunnel for good. He--keeping you safe is more important.”_

I--

“ _Please.”_

I didn’t move.

I didn’t understand.

I took a step forward.

_“STOP! I will not let you leave!”_

Leave.

Away from the stifling. The suffocation.

I...hadn’t realized how much I _liked_ that idea.

“ _They will kill you!”_

_“They will take your soul!”_

_“Stay here! Stay safe! Stay with **me!”**_

**The surroundings faded.**

**_O h ._ **

Toriel blocks the way.

White fire sprung to life in the darkness.

The red began to glow in my chest.

Mom wanted to play the game too.

Okay.

I pulled the toy knife out of where I’d slid it into my deep pockets.

She turned around, fire flaring around her. Claws cupped the dancing flame. It reflected off the tears matting the fur of her cheeks.

_“I won’t let you leave me again, my child.”_

_“Not again.”_

_“ **DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE”**_

Mom...wasn’t very good at this.

I was. I’d had practice.

White spilled across the bricks. Her glasses glinted in the torchlight.

The tiny warmth of familiarity in my heart...faded. Scattered across the floor.

My dusty footprints followed me.

I could only move forward.


	3. Day 3: Mr Skeleton

## On the [Third Day of Chara](http://monofell-au.tumblr.com/post/155001894909/day-3-a-pile-of-bones), Doodle gave to me…

Theoretical scenarios,  
Too many questions,  
And a little spark of inspiration.

 

The stone door was heavy. Something on the outside resisted it opening, but this was my way forward. Stone screeched against stone. Muscles strained. The carved stone dug into my palms, radiating a sharp chill that almost seemed alien after the pleasant temperature of the rest of the tunnels.

I barely managed to shift it open enough just enough to slide my body through, freezing air stinging my face with the sheer force of the difference. My sharp exhale came out in a flurry of mist. The disturbed snow crunched under boot.

_Snow._

Mom had called this the Underground. I peered up, searching for the oppressive stone ceiling that had taken the ruins and squeezed it into a tiny inescapable box.

It was lost in the darkness, above the shadows of skeletal trees, fingers of bone reaching skyward. Reaching for the source of that strange flurry of snow that carelessly drifted downward, defying logic. The tiny flakes soon became an occasional patch of sudden water, melting almost immediately against my cheeks. Against my palm, even as I held it out to catch them.

Snow without a sky. It should be impossible.

I...didn’t know how to feel about it. If I felt anything at all.

It just was.

I couldn’t...even muster that sense of wonder I’d briefly felt on that overlook. Or staring up at the faerielights.

Would even the impossible snow have a mundane explanation? Just cracks in the mountain’s surface, allowing the occasional storm to leak through?

_Mt. Ebbott._

_A place the lost go to disappear._

Was I lost?

I didn’t know why I was here.

Why...I was walking.

When had I started walking?

My dusty footprints were lost in the freshly fallen snow. They trailed behind me, vanishing beneath a closed stone door. It must have snapped shut once I stepped out. Barring the way back. Sealing away that stifling sense of familiarity and warmth.

Beyond the ruins was cold.

Somehow I knew there was no way back.

No way back to the cute little house. To the safety I had so resented in Mom’s clawed, but warm hand.

It didn’t matter anyway.

The toy knife was cold in mine.

She was broken too.

Xxx

 

Zzzzzz

Zzzzz

Zzzz

The rhythmic sounds faded in the distance as I walked. I left the small wooden sentry station, with it’s softly snoring guard behind. I’d stood. Waiting. But the sleeper hadn’t so much as stirred.

Bored, I left.

It was a pity. That jacket had looked warm.

I kept walking.

I immediately noticed that there were more people outside of the ruins.

Whenever I met them an Encounter would happen. The world would darken, painting everything in stark contrast. The world would fill with a flurry of magic, drowning out the gently drifting snowflakes.

It was the same game.

Still, nobody would tell me the rules. Maybe they all expected me to just know?

X-x-x

The next guard wasn’t asleep.

His voice was loud. I could hear it through the trees, even if I didn’t necessarily understand the words. It almost sounded like he was arguing with himself.

Stupid. You didn’t need to speak to do that.

Blue cloth, tattered and worn, fluttered with the force of his movements. Thick blue boots making a noticeable track through the snow covered path. He paced in front of a sentry station, almost exactly like the last one. Wooden. Just barely large enough for the tall monster to fit in. Snow accumulated on the roof, so it must have been out here a long time. A long, thin white thing leaned carefully against it.

It almost looked like… He turned and stopped, a grinning, fanged skull met my gaze.

_Bone._

Black eye sockets seemed to widen at my question. Which was impossible. Skulls couldn’t move.

_“AM I A SKELETON? OF COURSE I AM! WHAT ABOUT YOU, SMALL ONE? YOU DO NOT SEEM TO BE A SKELETON. OR A DOG. OR LIKE ANY OF THE OTHER MONSTERS IN SNOWDIN.”_

_“IN FACT, YOU ALMOST APPEAR TO BE A HUMAN. BUT I AM CERTAIN MY BROTHER WOULD HAVE NOT LET YOU PAST IF SO.”_ A small sigh, the loud easing briefly _“UNLESS HE WAS SLEEPING AGAIN.”_

I thought about it.

It sounded right.

I wasn’t a Monster. I knew that knowledge deep in my heart.

_I was different._

I didn’t like it.

_It hurt._

_“REALLY? WOW! A HUMAN! I’VE NEVER ACTUALLY--THE CAPTAIN TOLD ME--”_ At least Mr. Skeleton seemed happy about it. He almost bounced, before he straightened his shoulders. As well as he could anyway, his spine seemed to curve oddly, preventing the completed posturing. He coughed into his glove as if clearing his throat. Why? Would skeletons even have vocal cords? “ _ATTENTION HUMAN! I, PAPYRUS, WILL NOW CAPTURE YOU IN THE NAME OF THE ROYAL GUARD! NYAHAHA!”_

I tilted my head. Eyes narrowed.

I did not understand.

“ _W-WHY?”_ My question seemed to throw him off. He seemed to search for an answer. “ _I--WELL IT’S THE LAW, HUMAN! THE CAPTAIN HAS ORDERED ALL HUMANS BE CAPTURED AND ESCORTED TO HER IMMEDIATELY! DO NOT FEAR, THIS WILL BE QUICK AND THEN WE CAN BE OFF!”_

A blue glove closed around the long white thing, pulling it away from the wood. It _did_ seem like a bone, rounded at one end. But the other, the one that had been buried in the snow…

Was pointed. Possibly even sharp.

I eyed it. Waiting for the darkness. The Toy Knife burned in my numb hand.

Did he want to play too?

_Papyrus blocks the way._

**Oh. There it was.**

I won of course.

I always won.

He kept talking, even until the end. Even after the end.

I stepped over the cracking skull and continued on my way.

x-x-x

I might not _know_ the rules. But I did learn.

I never stopped walking. Even when the Encounters came. Movement kept me warm. The stings of pain from near misses chased away the empty numbness that infested my body. The rush of winning lit a small fire in my chest, that pretty red light growing stronger with each one.

I didn’t...feel so empty after playing. So lost. Even if I didn’t have a goal other than taking one step after another. I began to look forward to the next one to challenge me, for the next monster to indicate they intended they wanted to play the game.

The snow clinging to my sweater never melted.

Each different monster had their own patterns. But they all lost the game. They all melted into the same pile of dust, the off-white grains mixing and getting lost in the snow.

And through it all...something itched at me.

Like mom, glancing over her shoulder at me.

I couldn’t escape it then.

I couldn’t even _find_ it now.

Many games later, I found a long bridge.

On the other side, I happened to glance back.

A small figure stood on the edge. Bone white, drowning in a thick black jacket. I squinted, trying to combat the distance.

I recognized that coat. Black and thick and trimmed in white fluff. I’d watched, envying the warmth, while the sentry snoozed away. Oblivious.

I couldn’t see his eyes. Not from here.

But I could feel his gaze. Heavy.

Not with concern, like mom’s.

But...something else.

The toy knife was heavy in my hand.

I wondered if he wanted to play too.


	4. Day 4: Unexpected Player

## On the [Fourth Day of Chara](http://monofell-au.tumblr.com/post/155048065469/day-4), Doodle gave to me…

Foreshadowed madness,  
Theoretical scenarios,  
Too many questions,  
And a little spark of inspiration.

 

 

 

There was a town beyond the bridge. It was quaint; the wooden structures and bright lights a stark change from the quiet forests. I stood at the edge for a moment, watching as a variety of monsters moved two and fro between the buildings. I could even hear the faint murmur of voices, drifting up beyond the edge of the town’s limits, although I couldn’t understand what they said from here.

There wasn’t really a way around. The road ran directly through the center.

I entered the town.

Curious gazes followed me as I took one step.

And then another.

They never lingered, sliding away just as soon as they landed, but there were so _many_ of them, piling onto my shoulders. I drew inward. Away from the constant, but fleeting attention. Toward that cold numbness aching deep in my chest. Because that ache was familiar.

“ _Did you hear? Greater Dog’s missing from his post.”_

_“It isn’t like the Canine Unit to miss their poker game…”_

This close, the warm light was painful to eyes that had adjusted to the dim forest. A cacophony of voices were grating after the quiet shifting of the trees.

_“Maybe it’s a sentry thing? Sans hasn’t been in for his evening drink either.”_

_“Think Papyrus read them all the riot act? You know how he gets about slacking off.”_

I just...kept walking. Clinging to the familiar plastic of my knife.

So many people.

“ _He’s like a second Captain sometimes, I swear. I could believe he roped them all into a special training session. I’ll ask Doggo sometime--we got a betting pool going when Papyrus will finally scold that brother of his.”_

Did they not want to play?

If we could play…

“ _Oooh, maybe I should get in on that.”_

Maybe I’d feel better. Maybe it wouldn’t be so overwhelming.

_Laughter._

Just one game?

“ _Yoooo! What’s so funny?”_

Please?

Anything but the constant glances, and the continued crunch of my boots along the packed snow covered road.

“ _Ugh--Sorry kid. Ya gotta be there for it. You know how it is.”_

Conversation died awkwardly. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. The growing tightness in my temples easing a little. But only a little.

A large decorated tree stood out, rising out of a small clearing near the center of town. I focused on it, doing my best to block out the rest of my surroundings. It didn’t work entirely, but the memory of the game with the grumpy deer monster was definitely more pleasant than this. Its horns had looked a little like this tree. They’d been a little weird, with the wire and the lights and the picture frame, but the memory almost made me want to smile.

It had looked ridiculous. And had left a small pile of junk in the snow when I won. I wondered why that was. Why only some things dissolved, and some didn’t. Mr. Skeleton had left behind a scarf too. Mom--

**_“Oh my child!”_ **

_...mom?_

I froze beneath the tree. The voice had come from behind me. It sounded wrong-- but something in the air wafted toward me. A smell. Sweet, and a little spicy.

 _“Here. Take this. You look hungry.”_ Blue--blue not white--furred paws pressed something warm into my hands. It burned against my numb fingers. _“And a little cold--your hands are positively chilled! You should stop by the general store, tell the shopkeeper Peri told her to get you a bandanna.  I have no idea how you can stand it here without fur! Are you visiting from waterfall? You gotta bundle up tight around here!”_

The blue monster smiled at me--mom had smiled like that. Something deep in my chest recoiled--and replaced the white cloth covering her basket, cutting off most of that sweet smell. Some still wafted from the pastry in my hand.

_“Do not hesitate to stop by the Inn if you ever need to warm up. I’m sure my son would enjoy a playmate.”_

With a wave, she was gone. I looked down at it, about the size of my palm. Tan, with a dusting of dark brown. A pointed nose, long ears, and a round tail.

 _Bunny_. The thought filtered in unbidden. Sprung from that quiet depth of my mind that _knew_ things. That knew Mom was safe. That knew the snow was impossible. That knew that smell was cinnamon.

_It smelled like mom’s pie._

I’d woken to it that first night. The pie had been laid out on the floor, the sweet and spicy smell of cinnamon mixing with the smooth flavor of--something else-- _butterscotch._ It had been overwhelming. Suffocating. Throwing me into a mix of _this is wrong but oh so right._

I’d left it there.

The cinnamon alone wasn’t as bad, but I couldn’t bring myself to take a bite.

_It isn’t chocolate._

_Cinnamon belonged to--someone else._

_“Yoooo, I’m jealous. You gonna eat that? Mrs. Periwinkle doesn’t give those things out to just anyone. You normally have to buy ‘em from--”_

Yellow. Stripes. A wagging tail.

I shoved it at them.

 _“Woah!”_ Somehow they caught it. Without arms. I turned away as they scarfed it down.

I needed to go.

_This place was too much._

I’d almost reached the edge of town when the crunch of snow alerted me to someone following me. I slowed, even as my heart began to pick up pace.

Was it a challenger?

At last?

“ _Yo!”_

It was the yellow one. The long, thick lizard-like tail wagged happily. “ _Thanks a bunch for the Cinnamon Bunny! Are you sneaking out to Waterfall? My parents don’t like me going out alone, but if I’m with someone else I’m SURE it’ll be okay! None of the other kids ever want to hang out with me. Hey! You’re wearing a striped shirt! Does that mean you’re a kid too?!”_

I didn’t answer.

I left the brightness of the town behind. An iceblock floated serenely along the river beside me, a-- _thankfully--_ silent companion. A wall of white appeared to be before me, the lapping of the water was soon overpowered by a gust of wind as it kicked up the ever present layer of snow that covered the ground. Chunks of snows and ice stung at my cheeks, which I’d thought had long ago gone numb from the persistent cold.

One foot in front of the other. My fingers were frozen around the hilt of the toy knife. I couldn’t even hear the chattering of my teeth as I shivered, my eyes nearly useless from the thickly blown snow.

One foot in front of the other.

And then, I stepped out of it. I’d been fighting against the wind, and the lack of force caught me by surprise. I tried to correct my balance, but it sent me tumbling, rolling in the suddenly less disturbed snow. I lay on my back, blinking snow out of my eyes and staring up at the cavern ceiling above me.

Why?

Why did this one corridor have such a powerful wind?

Why were the ruins so warm?

Why did snow fall underground?

_Why?_

I had questions.

_Why?_

But...I suspected they weren’t the right questions.

I had to keep going.

_Why?_

What was I looking for?

Maybe I’d know when I saw it.

I was pushing myself up, trying to dust the clinging snow off my sweater when a dark shape pushed its way through the haze of blown snow. Yellow eyes blinked at me from above a short snout. The horned lizard shook itself.

“ _Yoooo! Thanks for waiting for me! That bit’s a doozy. My mom says kids can get blown into the river if they aren’t careful. You shoulda seen Ice Capp that one time, he washed up in Waterfall as an Iced Cube--ehehe. I didn’t even get a thank you when I fished him out of the river. Just a scolding from my parents. Snowy accused me of pushing him in--can you believe that?”_

My fingers tightened around plastic.

But no. I hadn’t been challenged yet.

If they didn’t want to play, I’d find someone who did.

“ _Don’t worry! He would have melted free eventually. It’s warmer--although not really drier--in waterfall! My hide’s thick enough that it doesn’t bother me, but aren’t you cold? You don’t have a lot of fur, and your hide looks really thin and--hey! Where are you going? Wait for me!”_

X-x-x

I knelt next to the flower. It gave off a pale blue glow in the dim light of these tunnels. It was quite different from the ruins. From the snowy place. The ceiling much lower. Light was cast by these little gemstones embedded in the ceiling, in the walls. I wondered how they glowed. Was it magic?

_Still not the right question._

My unwanted companion had run on ahead, chasing after a big armed horse monster yelling something about a captain. I was alone at last. The corridors were quiet except for the distant gentle rumble of a waterfall a few rooms back. The tension eating into my chest finally eased a little at the solitude. I decided to dawdle a little, drawn to the pale blue petals. The flowers had caught my eye a couple times. There was something--something--

_Hey! Look at this! If you’re reeeeeaal quiet you can hear--_

I leaned forward, listening. There was a whisper--

_“DUDE! That’s an echo flower!”_

**_“DUDE! That’s an echo flower!”_ **

Great. They were back.

“ _It’ll repeat the last thing it hears! Isn’t that neat?”_

**“ _Isn’t that neat?”_**

**“** _You can sometimes hear some really cool conversations if someone interesting been by! Like, one of the ones ahead mentioned **Undyne** was in the area! Can you believe that? Something about damage control! I tried to ask the locals, but they didn’t really want to talk to me. I don’t know why--”_

_“ **I don’t know why--”**_

_“ **I don’t know why--”**_

_“ **I don’t know why--”**_

_“ **I don’t know why--”**_

_“ **I don’t know why--”**_

_“Oh--is it time to go again? Wait for me!”_

**_“Wait for me!”_ **

**_“Wait for me!”_ **

**_“Wait for me!”_ **

X-x-x

“ _Oh! You found an umbrella! Mind if I join you?”_

Talking.

“ _I could try holding one with my tail, but it’s really difficult to keep it straight since I need it to balance--aaaand it says to only take one and you already took one--”_

Always talking.

Always.

It drowned out the rain that splattered against the fabric of my pink umbrella. The yellow lizard didn’t even wait for an answer--not that I _ever_ gave them one--and squeezed themselves under the dubious protection. They were _close._ So close, but not quite touching. Not yet.

I tried to ignore them. I really did. But--

_“--see? Look it’s big enough! Yeah! Hey--there’s puddles everywhere! Have you ever splashed in ‘em before? It’s super fun! Well, maybe not if you aren’t wearing waterproof boots. Are you wearing waterproof boots? I am! Ya need ‘em in Snowdin or you’ll get snow in your socks. That **sucks,** let me tell you. Cold **and** wet.”_

**_They._ **

**_Wouldn’t._ **

**_Stop._ **

**_Talking._ **

It was getting **annoying.**

Occasionally they’d fall silent. Humming to themselves. That was an improvement. It was almost tolerable then. But the moment I showed even the slightest bit of interest in something they’d be off again.

_These flowers are bridge seeds--_

_Oh these old inscriptions? No need to read them! We learned all this junk in school!_

_Just poke the mushrooms! They light up the path! Cool eh?_

_There’s this crazy kid named Temmie who runs around here. Wonder where she is._

_Heeeeeey look at this old statue! Looks like it could hold something--_

It was getting difficult to think. As if there was a low pressure building behind my eyes. I refused to look around. I just kept walking. Trying to leave them behind.

I wanted them to stop.

They wouldn’t stop.

“ _Oh hey! Stop! Look! That’s the castle in the distance. That’s where the king lives--have you ever been there? I hear new home is crooooowded -- hey wait! Ack! I’m getting wet!”_

I just kept walking.

I wanted to clear my head.

I wanted to ease the ache in my chest.

I wanted to see the pretty red light again.

But no one came.

Just the lizard.

And they just.

Kept.

**Talking.**

X-x-x

There was a bridge. It spanned a deep ravine. The wind howled through the crags. Echoing in my ears.

 _Almost_ drowning them out.

 _Almost._ But not _quite._

“ _Oh! Oh! I know this place! They call it “Undyne’s Arena” cause the captain comes here to train! Maybe she’ll be here? Maaaaan, I wanted to see her. The echo flower **said** she was around. I’m already gonna be grounded when I get home, but if I got to see Undyne it would totally be worth it. Don’t you think so?”_

They’d run on ahead. And stopped, turning around to look at me. Expectant as always. I never answered. They didn’t ever seem to care that I didn’t answer them with words. But they always wanted something.

Well. I wanted something too.

I’d exchanged the umbrella back for my toy knife a while back. It was familiar. It offered another solution.

They would be quiet if they lost the game.

_Why?_

Why didn’t they want to play?

_Even mom had._

Maybe this was another lesson?

Mom hadn’t wanted to play at first.

I’d made her.

Provoked her, hadn’t I?

I hadn’t meant to.

I still didn’t understand how _._

But it had.

I just--wanted them to stop.

The world began to darken.

A warmth began to blossom in my chest.

_“Dude! You didn’t_ **tell** _me you could have your soul out too! Undyne does that all the time! It’s super rad--like basically saying ‘hah! None of you wimps could ever hope to touch me!’”_

They just wouldn’t stop.

_“Her’s is green though--I’ve never seen a red soul before--hey! I think mine might be yellow, but I’ve never managed to see it-- Yo? What are you do--”_

**_I was going to make them stop._ **

_“MOVE YOUR TAIL KID!”_

_“WOAH!”_

My world was filled with green. My knife sunk through armor as if it were nothing. Someone grunted. Heavy gauntlets closed around my hands, but I refused to let go.

My eyes were captured by the floating light above my head. Green--not red, like mine--flickering in intensity. I could see a shape in the green light, curved, with a pointed top.

“ _W-why did you--U-Undyne--”_

_Crack._

The sound was almost lost in the wind. White lines spread through the light. Spreading. Growing larger. Cracks. It was cracking. The force around my hands intensified, metal ringing my wrist.

“ _GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE KID!”_

I clung to my knife as it was yanked out of the armor. I was thrown backward, off the bridge and onto the stone landing. Thrown _away._

“ _O--ok--”_

I reeled. A shadow loomed above me in the darkness, green armor, cracked light, and a crooked snarl.

Green magic erupted in the darkness. A spear in each hand.

_Finally._

I let all the irritation and tension go.

I’d been waiting.

The green light struggled, splintered…

It held out longer than any before.

But even it died.

And I was left alone at _last._


	5. Day 5: Hidden Eyes

## On the [Fifth Day of Chara](http://monofell-au.tumblr.com/post/155091637009/day-5-stop-watching-me), Doodle gave to me...

Time. Running. Out.  
  
Foreshadowed madness,  
Theoretical scenarios,  
Too many questions,  
And a little spark of inspiration.

 

 

It was getting warmer.

It prickled at my fingertips. Futilely attempting to warm the chill that stubbornly clung to them, despite having left the snow behind long ago. A river of bright _red,_ and _heat--magma, be super careful about the edges here! Dad wants to build railings to keep people safe--_ sluggishy flowed beneath the creaking bridge. It looked like wood. It couldn’t be wood. Wouldn’t wood catch fire?

But it was just a fleeting thought. My eyes kept being drawn by the hypnotic red-orange-yellow beneath me.

Even this close to something so undeniably _burning_ , I still felt cold.

_...why?_

If it wasn’t the stagnant air of the ruins.

If it wasn’t the bite of the wind-blown snow.

If it wasn’t the chill darkness of the swamp.

If it wasn’t the sweltering heat of the magma.

Why did I feel so numb?

The shifting of molten rock helped to quiet the panicked whine attempting to rise in the back of my mind. I was loathe to leave it. But I couldn’t linger here. There was something _wrong._ I felt it prickling beneath my skin. The cold ache in my chest yawned like a pit I couldn’t ever quite outrun. I looked down at my hands, painted red from below, and smeared with a faint dusting of _something_.

A curved slash, cutting through armor like butter. The dust settling on my hands. But the green shuddered and held together by pure force of will.

“ _I gave you a **chance--** ”_

Rocks shuddering. Wood flying.

“ _But you never asked **WHY--** ”_

I flexed my fingers, remembering the crackle of mint-white as it broke against my knife. The ghost of adrenaline rose in my blood. It shouldn’t have worked. My tiny knife against spears of lightning.

“ _I can’t--”_

Blocking. Dodging.

_“After everything--I just **CAN’T LOSE.** ”_

Green clashing against red.

“ _Just one more--”_

Green splintered. Cracking.

“ _Their sacrifices--”_

That had been the longest round I’d ever played.

“-- _can’t be in vain!”_

But I was the one who won. And yet the last words stuck with me.

“ _You are **nothing** like them.”_

Who?

“ _I can’t--”_

_“Fail them--”_

_“Not now--”_

Shut up.

It shouldn’t matter. They lost. If there’s one thing I knew, from within the fuzzy void of memory was-- _“If you lose, you don’t matter. Garbage, to be left behind. Understand?”--_ everything fades, leaving dust and ashes in their wake. What was the point in looking back?

So why did it haunt me? It had been the most fun I’d had so far, true. The only one since the first to truly make my blood burn and the light in my chest burn bright.

I didn’t regret that she’d interrupted my game with the dragon kid. She’d probably been a much better  opponent. It felt _good_ defeating her. I felt powerful. Stronger with each and every step…

But yet...still something gnawed at the back of my mind. An irritating buzz I could not escape. The growled words, alluding to those who had come before me.

I rubbed at my hand. Trying to remove the grey powder. But it was caked on. Annoying.  I shoved my hands into my sleeves and just kept walking. I could return to the swamp. I’d be able to wash my hands there, but something within me recoiled at the thought of turning around. Something--lurked in the blackness behind me. Waiting. I could feel the prickle of eyes between my shoulder blades. Like-- _mom’s but mom’s gone--_

There was a building ahead of me.

I hadn’t seen a proper building since-- _cold and snow and so many voices why wouldn’t they just stop and play it would help calm my nerves--_ the town. The Marsh had been full of caves and bridges and tiny nooks and reeds, but no buildings. No buildings, especially not a bright white walls against the dusty red rock, that stood out like a sore thumb and immediately drew the eye. I barely even glanced at the stairs with the two hulking piles of black armor blocking the way, although the cooler air wafting from the third fork did give me pause. I could hear the faint hiss of steam and the wavering lull of water. Remembering my filth covered hands, I almost…

But the white building captured my eyes once again, and my feet carried me across the rough red igneous rock. Metal clinked and shifted as I drew near, but the guards didn’t leave their post, and I didn’t bother to turn to them. The white was shiny and smooth as I approached. The door quivered and opened with a vwoosh, reacting to barely the brush of my finger tips. The burn of the cold metal that I briefly touched was eclipsed by  the blast of cold air that escaped into the oppressive cavern.

My footsteps echoed in the darkened building. Slick metal felt oddly unsteady under my boots after snow and stone. This entire room was building was foreign. Empty. Cold. A faint hum of machines and working devices that joined the itching buzz in the back of my mind and flared it into a cacophony.

W-what--

I peered into the darkness, catching sight of something glinting. The strain of my eyes against the dim lighting didn’t do much to prevent the aching of the headache coming on. But despite it all. I didn’t even consider the idea of turning around. My feet moved forward as if possessed. Toward the spark of light. It resolved into a screen. And on it…

I faltered.

Static. A smiling face. Black and white and fuzzy, distorting reality, but something in me _knew_ what I saw.

It’s me.

Black dripped down my chin. I could feel it pooling in the corner of my lips.

It’s me.

Red on black moved with my eyes, settling on an image both familiar and frighteningly foreign.

I did not know that face.

But. Somehow. I was certain.

_It’s me._

Mother’s eyes on my back. Something shuffled. Something squeaked in the darkness. Claws against metal. The rustle of fabric.

My head felt fuzzy.

My shoulders itched.

I did not _like_ being watched.

Could this be it?

The source of that irritating _feeling_ that followed me even after Mom was gone?

The darkness grew deeper as my fingers curled around the hilt of familiar plastic. The intruder stammered something, but I did not care. They wrung black gloved claws.

They were _not_ my mother. They had no right.

Watching people was rude.

The screen dissolved into static. I left the knife buried in the console. A broken pair of glasses glittering in the sparks thrown off by the broken electronics.

The feeling did not go away.

It just got worse.


	6. Day 6: ...

## On the [Sixth Day of Chara](http://monofell-au.tumblr.com/post/155146547419/day-6-01010111-01101000-01100001-01110100), Doodle gave to me...

Senseless ramblings,

Time. Running. Out.  
  
Foreshadowed madness,  
Theoretical scenarios,  
Too many questions,  
And a little spark of inspiration.

 

 

It got worse.

I don’t remember leaving. The climate controlled building faded, replace with a world filled with red stone, the hum of distant machinery, and the hypnotic dance of the magma far below.

And I still--

Just kept--

Walking.

Very little made it through the haze that slowly built up in my head. I’d left the screen behind, but the static in the lab dogged my footsteps, joining the irritating buzz that constantly rumbled in the back of my mind. I chafed in skin that felt two sizes too small. The consol had been smashed, reducing the screen to incoherent static. Static that echoed and followed me, even after I’d ensured there would be no more eyes.

No more screens.

No more red on black.

No more smiling faces.

I tried to put it out of my mind, I was me. That wasn’t really up for debate-- _was it?_

_It’s me._

What I’d seen in the screen changed nothing-- _didn’t it?--_ just a faulty camera. And if I could still feel _something_ dripping along my cheeks. If my eyes felt heavier. If the bright red landscape seemed...almost dull and grey… As if I was viewing it through a distant lense...

In the end did it matter?

I still had to move forward.

There were still games to play.

Each one was a brief moment of relief. My mind focusing on dodging the opponent's magic. Tracking patterns and calculating movements pushed the droning static back just enough. Each victory strengthened the light in my chest. It was a guiding beacon, lighting the path I needed to take. I’d left the knife behind, but...I found I didn’t _need_ it. I still won.

_“I--I--c-can’t l-let y-you h-hurt anyone else.”_

Dust on my hands. Discarded glasses, glaring accusatory in the reflected screen.

Hurt?

It’s all just a **GAME.**

_You taught me the rules._

**_You just LOST._ **

It all felt so clear in those moments.

Once the encounters ended…

I felt so.

Disconnected.

From everything.

The constant droning. The greying landscape.

I felt trapped, even as I made my way down the path before me. Winding through canyons and across pointless arrays of jump pads.

_It’s me._

My hands shook. I couldn’t see the red rock beneath my feet. The static filled screen. Red and pink faded to dispassionate black and white. My eyes strained, even the edges of my filth covered hands seemed to blur, an odd double vision that poked the grumpy bear growling behind my temples.

The feeling of _wrong-ness_ redoubled.

The face in the screen had been unfamiliar.

Yet I knew it was _me._

_It’s me._

But.

Who am I?

_You are my child._

But.

Mom was _gone_.

That was my fault, wasn’t it?

_You’re my best friend._

I just...played the game.

I didn’t make the rules.

**_They did._ **

_You are our hope._

They all did.

If they didn’t.

They why did the encounters happen?

Another. After another.

A chilling laugh barely registered, cut off in a gurgled gasp. Something shrieked-- _grief? Pain? **Hurt?--**_ but it’s attack barely made the flight flicker. Wisps of webbing drifted away from where I hadn’t realized it’d been clinging, disintegrating into a fine mist. In the dim-cobweb filled cavern, I stared down at my empty fist, covered in dust. The opponent in front of me--purple and black and grey and far too many arms--swayed, and then faded, like they all did when they lost--

I--

What am I doing?

Drifting in and out. Following a path I couldn’t even recognize anymore.

I was...looking for something.

Wasn’t I?

Answers?

Answers to what?

The void in my soul didn’t have a solution. I didn’t expect it too, but I was disappointed anyway.

Something just ached.

My path led me to this end.

A door, shimmering in a metal chamber. I’d been vaguely aware of the transition from red stone to cold blue steel. Like the lab, it was a shocking departure from the hand made or rough stonework of the previous areas. But aside from the lack of oppressive heat--which was replaced by a suffocating _energy_ that filled the air. It mingled with the static and the glass continued to crack. The void looked back at me and smiled--I couldn’t bring myself to care. A new area. New opponents. They were tougher now. But the patterns came easy to me. Shadows in the corridors sought to ambush me. I should have been easy prey lost and wandering.

I was not.

I’d lost my equipment, but my mind was my weapon. And only while playing the game did I truly feel in control. I crushed them without mercy.

_“Well, well, welly, well, darling, I’m surprised y0u’ve survived this long… I prepared such...fitting surprises for y0u. It’s n0 m0re than y0u deserved after the 0ne you left for me in my dear friend’s lab.”_

A sleek mass of pink and black and white unfurled before the door guarding the way. Jets of pink light sliced through the air on their back, creating a facsimile of wings arching from dainty shoulder blades.. A pink heart glowed, pulsing with a light and energy that echoed the one in my chest. White folded and expanded outward, gloves transforming into a black cone, an ominous pink glow gathering at its tip.

_Why_

Why are you doing this

Why are you stopping me

Why do you block my way

_“I t0ld her she needed to be str0nger, but why w0uld she listen t0 me? 0f c0urse, I anticipated the threat to come fr0m an0ther quarter...but nevermind. I’m afraid y0ur sh0w has been canceled, darling. Your mindless march shall end here, and herald the rise of my new career!”_

Why…

Light burst free.

Why…

I weaved. It was nearly blinding. Ducking.

Why…

I threw every droplet of confusion and frustration and anger into my strike.

_“I--see there is m0re than 0ne m0nster in this r00m.”_

Why did any of this happen?

_“T-truly, there’s n0thing left for me here. Bl00--my frien--w-well--”_

_“I h-h0pe they can...f0rgive me.”_

Pink faded.

“ _Y0u--y0u can have it all d-darling. AH-HAHA. This f0rsaken undergr0und! Y0u’ll never leave. Y0u’ll hunt them d0wn. And they deserve it. They deserve it all. And then y0u’ll be left with n0thing! N0thing! N0--”_

The heart shattered.

Metal clattered to the ground. The red light grew stronger.

But. There was nowhere for me to go now.

There was a door behind the dissolving pile of scrap. A door just like the ruins. The one Mom wanted to destroy.

It wouldn’t open.

The shimmering light repelled me.

Even as I beat my fists bloody and aching.

I couldn’t move forward.

Something blocked the way.

I searched.

Lost and alone and breaking

I searched.

Nothing.

No way forward.

I couldn’t go back.

If I couldn’t find it.

Then was all this

Worth anything?

Was I…

Worth anything?

**I**

**Won.**

But nobody came.

_Be super careful of the edges here!_

_Dad wants to build railings to keep people safe!_

_Cha-rshhshshshshshhhs--_

I let myself fall.


	7. Day 7: [Redacted]

## On the [Seventh Day of Chara](http://monofell-au.tumblr.com/), Doodle gave to me...

Ominious beginnings,  
Senseless ramblings,

Time. Running. Out.  
  
Foreshadowed madness,  
Theoretical scenarios,  
Too many questions,  
And a little spark of inspiration

 

 

 

_How curious._

It...was silent.

Sweet, comforting silence. The haze was gone. I felt myself relaxing, a ripple traveling through my guiding light. Uncoiling. The bright roaring strength...slipped away, crumbling back to dust under the weight of death. Leaving it weaker, but burning clean again. I cupped it in my hands, feeling that fluttering warmth beating back the numbness that chilled my fingers.

 _You **don’t** **quite** belong _**here** **do** _you?_

 ** _I_** _**suppose** you _**never** **did** _._

It spoke to me, part of that darkness that surrounded me. A distorted smile, thoughtful. A myriad of amorphous arms crossed in interest. The void stared into me, and I felt no fear as I stared back.

_The royals’ little rose._

**The hidden thorn, buried in the lion’s paw.**

**_Quite the soul you’ve stolen for yourself_ ** _._

The light thrummed in my palms, warm and inviting and loving. Stolen? No. It belonged to _me._

** With such strength, you could start over again, in fact, **

_ Come now, you can’t be satisfied with that ending, _

**_ You wouldn’t still BE here if you were. _ **

A choice loomed before me. One option greyed out. But the choice was there. The power--soul?--between my palms warmed me. But I could feel the nudge.

Back there was nothing. Cold. Numb. Lost. Confusion. Frustration. _Loneliness._ So intense I’d thrown myself from the path rather than continue without progress. Doomed by a locked door and claustrophobic caverns.

But. The idea of leaving it--this-- ** _the game--_** unfinished. Did not sit well with me.  The idea of staying here, with the color leeched from my body--did I even have a body? I could feel the light in my hands but also in my chest but also enveloping me, but I felt so--off, insubstantial, disconnected. The glass had splintered and broken and I’d fallen into the screen, forever barred from an empty world just beyond my reach. I could feel it, the things behind me I’d been running from…

They were still here. Somewhere. I hadn’t escaped. I could feel it resonating in the void. No escape. Only a reprieve. And the other method I’d grown to rely on was gone...unless…

The void chuckled at my questioning *Check.

**_ Not here, I’m afraid.  _ **

**You’ll find nothing here.**

_ Only lose that which you’ve gained. _

The light shuddered. It yearned to go back. I could feel it in the faint flutter of the weak, but oddly pure flame. It wasn’t ready to stop. It wasn’t ready to surrender to the all encompassing vacuum around us.

It had been my guide. Maybe it was a guide even now.

_You could reset it all._

** Start over. **

**_There is a way beyond the door._ **

_ I’m sure you could figure it out, given enough time. _

**_ And you have all the time in the world. _ **

_So many games to play._

**Do you think you can win?**

The void laughed at me, delighted as I made my choice.

**_Chara!_ ** **You’ve got to stay determined!**

The voice called from my past

**You are the hope of humans and monsters!**

_Pity_ ** you ** _**didn’t** save. _ **You’ll** _**have** to _ ** start ** _**from** the _ **beginning** _**again**._

The light pulsed in the darkness.

I had to go forward.

_Oh. You’ve fallen down, haven’t you?_

Have I?

“ _Oh no--oh no no no.”_

It hurt enough to be true. My body ached, but not enough for me to really care.

“ _I--I remember--”_

Waxy petals beneath my cheek. Pollen filled my nose and lungs as I gasped for breath.

_“Y-you **killed** me”_

**_Buttercups._ **

I picked up a broken stick. The glowing door burned in my mind. The void smiled back at me, the glass cracked.

_“S-stay back!”_

Little white pellets surrounded the trembling flower.

Maybe even the flower had wanted to play.

Okay.

**_This is just a game._ **

I just needed to figure out how to win.

At least I knew the rules now.

****

****

**_Playing the game_ **

**Taking your turn**

_Some children lose_

_ Some _ ** children _learn_ **

                                                                                          **Fin**   =)

**Author's Note:**

> Fan-made companion piece to the Official 7 Days of Chara comic.


End file.
